Community is Built Together

Together with patrons, staff, friends and family, Anh and Chi and Good Thief have reached a deeply impactful milestone of over $500,000 in donations raised and donated to local nonprofits through the Reservation by Donation (RBD) program.

Co-founders Vincent and Amélie Nguyễn officially launched RBD in December 2020, making it the first program of its kind to allow reservations to be made (where it used to be a first come first serve only basis) by donating $10 per person to a small but rotating selection of local charities. The initiative came into fruition during the peak of the pandemic, when the need for community support and collaboration in the greater Vancouver area was magnified. Shortly after, the team announced that the program was here to stay, and every quarter, Anh and Chi staff selects three public-nominated charities to receive the donations; supporting organizations working to support upstream prevention, marginalized communities and priorities across our city, around food security, homelessness, mental health, re-settlement, identity, sustainability and so much more. 

Preparing to enter their 10th year in 2026, the team at Anh and Chi have big plans to continue connecting and supporting the community far past its doors on Main Street and 18th.

“We always wanted to find ways to do more outside our doors here at Anh and Chi. Our community has supported our family for decades and we wanted to find a meaningful way to give back. It was a risk and there was always the chance of receiving backlash (which we still do), but trusting our instincts and staying true to ourselves paid off. We encourage other restaurants to follow suit, as some already have, and continue to support their communities both financially where possible, and also by raising awareness of the many great causes that surround us.” - Vincent, Owner & Co-founder

So how has this half a million dollars supported communities over the past four years? Here are just a few examples...

• Aunt Leah’s received $26,960 from the program, which has contributed to preventing foster care youth from homelessness, and vulnerable mothers from losing custody of their children. Funds supported accommodation services for young people growing out of the foster care system. 

• Lookout Housing + Health Society received $16,280 to revitalize the Yukon Housing Centre’s residential wing and building’s condition, making the space a real home for adults facing housing and basic need challenges. This has helped many adults gain independence, build dignity and reduce harm. 

• Backpack Buddies delivers food to thousands of BC children facing food insecurity. As one of the very first beneficiaries of the Reservation by Donation program, Backpack Buddies received $5,410 to help purchase additional food and feed more children across the province when the pandemic meant the need for food support was higher than ever.

• Treehouse Vancouver Child & Youth Advocacy Centre received $16,590 which was used to support child victims of abuse. The donations helped fund access to child protection, the police, victim services and trauma-focused counselling in one safe, child-friendly space. 

• Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) supports survivors and their families experiencing intergenerational trauma during healing journeys. Since 1994, IRSSS has provided culturally sensitive services, and received $13,070, allowing for counselling, advocacy and crisis support services that aid strength and resilience reclamation.

Over 40 non-profit organizations have felt the positive impact:

• A.WARE Foundation
• Aboriginal Front Door Society
• Aunt Leah’s Place
• BabyGoRound
• Backpack Buddies
• Battered Women’s Services
• BC Hospitality Foundation
• Contributing to Lives of Inner City Kids (CLICK)
• Coast Mental Health
• Covenant House
• Dan On Foundation (Golden Age Village of BC)
• David Suzuki Foundation
• Directions Youth Services
• Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre
• Dress for Success Vancouver
• Elimin8hate 
• Food Stash
• Growing Chefs
• Help Change My City
• Immigrant Services Society of BC
• Indian Residential School Survivors’ Society 
• Lookout Society
• Mission Possible
• Moon Time Connections
• NexUp
• Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS)
• Potluck Cafe Society
• Rainbow Refugee
• Sheway
• Spectrum Society
• The Bloom Group
• The Greater Vancouver Food Bank
• The Treehouse
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• Vancouver Black Therapy Fund
• Vancouver Firefighters Charity
• Vancouver Food Runners
• Vancouver Fruit Tree
• Vancouver Hospice Society
• Watari
• Writer’s Exchange